HARRISON TWP. — Three Harrison Twp. strip clubs have been raided tonight and several arrests have been made in a long-term investigation authorities said uncovered evidence of prostitution, drugs and food stamp trafficking.

Agent-in-Charge Michelle Thourot, with the Ohio Highway Patrol’s Ohio Investigative Unit, said OIU agents, members of the Range Task Force and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants at three liquor permit premises:

The Harem, 5825 North Dixie Drive,

The Living Room, 3830 North Dixie Drive,

Sharky’s, 6028 North Dixie Drive

34 people are facing felony and/or misdemeanor charges

3 Harrison Twp. strip clubs busted

In all, 140 criminal charges have been filed.

Some arrests have been made and some of the indictments have been served, Thourot said.

Agents also filed 166 administrative violations against the liquor permit premises and more administrative and criminal charges are possible as the investigations continue, she said.

(UPDATE @ 11:30 p.m.):

All three strip clubs were raided at once, at 6:15 p.m.

Thourot said she was part of the raid at the Harem, where there was a large crowd, but could not speak to how busy the other two clubs were because she wasn’t part of the raids there.

The other two clubs were allowed to open once agents left the premises, she said, but agents were still at the Harem at 10:30 p.m. because it is the largest of the three businesses.

No more raids are planned at this time, Thourot said, but the investigation continues.

She said the overall OIU investigation, which includes tonight’s raids, began in January. Law enforcement operations at one club led to the next, she said.

Thourot declined to estimate the quantity of drugs or cash or EBT cards law enforcement seized in tonight’s raids. (The Electronic Benefits Transfer card is used in the distribution of food assistance benefits).

Those details about the raids are likely to be discussed at a news conference scheduled for Friday afternoon, she said.

The administrative case will be presented to the Ohio Liquor Control Commission at a later date. Possible administrative penalties include fines, suspensions, or revocation of the liquor permit.

OIU is charged with enforcing the state’s liquor laws and is the only state law enforcement agency specifically tasked with investigating food stamp fraud crimes.

Tonight: Snow has moved out, but lingering moisture means we could see some drizzle or fog at times tonight, said Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Brett Collar. Temperatures will continue to drop tonight and overnight, with lows eventually reaching the upper 20s. Due to the dropping temperatures, an isolated slick spot will be possible on the roads.

﻿Monday: Rain returns to the area, and overall it appears to be a rather soggy day. Highs will be in the middle 40s. Highs will climb to the lower 60s.

Graphic by Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Brett Collar

﻿Tuesday: High temperatures will be near 70 degrees but we’ll have a chance for more rain. Rain and even a few storms will be possible in the evening through early Wednesday morning.

Wednesday: Rain to start the day but clouds will break into the afternoon. Given the amount of rain from Monday through Wednesday, flooding will be possible in some areas. Highs on Wednesday will reach the middle 50s.

﻿Thursday: Mostly cloudy skies with highs expected in the middle to upper 40s.

Firefighters rescue 12 pets from burning house in Franklin

Twelve pets, including 11 dogs and 1 bird, were rescued from a house on fire.

Fire crews said when they arrived on scene of the fire in the 900 block of Turner Lane Saturday afternoon, heavy smoke and flames were showing. All the residents were able to make it out safely, but they advised of the 12 pets trapped in the house.

Fire crews said the pets were scared and didn’t want to be touched, which made rescuing them difficult. It took about 15 minutes to get the 12 pets out of the house, which are safe and weren’t injured, crews said.

The fire is believed to have started in a wall or on a deck.

The American Red Cross is assisting the family. The home sustained an estimated $30,000 to $40,000 in damages.

No one was injured.

﻿UPDATE @ 4:50 p.m.

Firefighters were able to rescue 10 pets from a burning home in Franklin Saturday afternoon.

Officials said all 10 of the family’s pets were pulled to safety and were not injured after the fire broke out in a home in the 900 block of Turner Lane around 3:25 p.m.

The residents and firefighters battling the blaze were also not injured. Crews initially reported possible injuries after a man was found on the porch of the home when emergency units first arrived. Those reports were later deemed unfounded, according to investigators.

The cause of the fire is unknown and still under investigation, fire officials said.

﻿FIRST REPORT

Fire crews have responded to reports of a house fire in the 900 block of Turner Lane in Franklin Saturday afternoon.

Firefighters reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the house around 3:25 p.m.

Initial reports indicate at least one person might have been injured.

We have a crew on the way and we’ll update this page as we learn more.